Camp Get FIT began in the summer of 2006 after school nurses identified that children tended to gain more weight in the summer than they do during the school year. Similar observations were published in the American Journal of Public Health (2007), demonstrating that even very young children gain inordinate amounts of weight (based on BMI) during the summer months. The difference between school and summer weight gain rates was especially large for three at-risk subgroups: Black children, Hispanic children, and children who were already overweight.
Camp Get FIT was created to address this concern. The primary focus is for children to have fun in a safe environment during the summer months. It is not a diet program. Because we feel childhood obesity is a family concern normal weight siblings are also invited to attend. And because children cannot fix this problem alone parents attend parenting classes one evening per week during the 4 weeks of camp.
